Canada Strong: Five Great National Parks in Newfoundland, Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Yukon

Things are a little tense these days when it comes to Canada-USA relations, and many Canadians say they intend to stay home for their holidays this year. With that in mind, I’m doing a series of “Canada Strong” travel stories to provide some ideas. Today I look at five great national parks across this great country of ours.

Thanks for reading, and as we Canadians are prone to say these days, Elbows Up! 

KLUANE NATIONAL PARK, YUKON

 

This is a rugged, starkly beautiful spot a couple hours northwest of Whitehorse. The drive to get here is nothing short of magnificent, as you pass , craggy mountains streaked with ice and capped with brilliant white snow set off against the deep black rock, as if someone had taken the mountains and turned them upside down and dipped them into a vat of white ice cream, then put them back in place.

The road climbs steadily towards the mountains, dipping and swirling in a delightful fashion. Kluane Lake is backed by towering, rocky mountains. Stop at Tacahl Dhal (Sheep Mountain) Centre, a small building at the foot of a massive hill of brown rock. If you look up, you might see tiny white dots, which are Dall sheep nibbling on plants and grasses on the steep slopes.

It’s a very stark, dry setting, with only a few, scattered trees and low-lying brush. But it’s undeniably beautiful, especially when there’s a bright red and white Canadian flag flapping madly in the foreground.

YOHO NATIONAL PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA

 

If you love Banff, but would prefer a few less people, this is a place that should definitely be on your radar. It’s located just 90 minutes from Banff, but sees a fraction of the visitors.

One of the main attractions is Takakkaw Falls, a spectacular ribbon of water that tumbles 1,224 feet down a massive slab of gray stone. Grab a seat in a Parks Canada red chair and drink it all in.

Also in Yoho is Emerald Lake, which is such a deep green you won’t need to photoshop your pictures. You can grab a bite at Emerald Lake Lodge, or rent a canoe for the quintessential Canadian experience.

Another great sight is what’s called Natural Bridge, a deep-brown slab of rock that reaches over the top of the whitewater of the Kicking Horse River and forms a well, natural bridge. I remember standing alongside it when I visited years ago. I fellow I didn’t know stood a few feet away from me in silence, and we both just silently shook our heads in wonder. No words were needed, and none were said.

Yoho National Park (Yoho means “awe” in the Cree language) is home to bears, cougars, mountain goats and other wildlife.

Luxurious Cathedral Mountain Lodge offers delicious food — if you’re up for a splurge — and spectacular views of ancient, craggy spires.

GEORGIAN BAY ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, ONTARIO

 

Georgian Bay Islands National Park is a small but mighty piece of real estate that most people reach by a short ferry ride from the cute, huggable village of Honey Harbour. It’s a wonderful spot for a hike or a bike ride, with well-marked trails for both and a bike rental shop.

The park is filled with gently sloping, rugged, orange-red rocks topped with evergreens and deciduous trees and surrounded by clear, blue Georgian Bay water.

You can arrange campsites, sleep in a wood cabin or bed down in comfort in a Parks Canada oTENTiks, which are large, permanent, glamorous tents outfitted with raised floors, cozy beds and furniture. They provide the feel of camping with the comfort of a hotel room.

On the way to the park, our boat captain explained that the Georgian Bay islands are the world’s largest freshwater archipelago, but that this park is the smallest in the Parks Canada inventory. He also talked about the birds and wildlife we might spot as we walk about, including osprey, turtles, bald eagles and bears.

GROS MORNE NATIONAL PARK, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

 

A boat ride on Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne National Park is one of best things I’ve ever done in Canada. The pond (it would be a fjord, but it’s connected to the ocean) is a long, narrow body of water that’s flanked by near vertical, dark grey rock.

It’s one of the most stunning vistas in Canada, with majestic, green-clad mountains rising overhead and, when I last visited, spiky white clouds that dance in a powder-blue summer sky.

The mountains here have been scoured and scrubbed and scraped some 40 times by glaciers over various ice ages, our tour guide explained. My fellow passengers and I stood slack-jawed and silent as we passed powerfl, wind-whipped peaks hundreds of meters high and gaze at deep cracks in the rock that plunge to the water. We also spotted a half-dozen or more waterfalls, four of them high overhead at the far end of the pond.

I haven’t been, but the hiking here is legendary. The Gros Morne Mountain trail is 17km long, a seven to eight hour hike at a leisurely pace, with stunning landscapes. Take your time, and take your cell phone and plenty of water and snacks.

WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK

This is one of my favourite parks in the country, with majestic mountains, beautiful lakes, fiery red canyons, and more.

The main hiking attraction is a knobby outcropping called Bear’s Hump. It’s a rise of about 800 feet and has some very steep sections and a half-ton of switchbacks, but I managed it in a half-hour and there were small kids bounding along beside me at times. You pass tiny yellow and pink flowers along the way if you’re in early summer and soon find yourself surrounded by fragrant Ponderosa pines and ancient rock. The views from the top are nothing short of remarkable, with Waterton Lake stretching out far to the south into the U.S. and jagged, ancient peaks flanking the water.

One of the great attractions is a boat ride on Waterton Lake. I also suggest a drive out to Cameron Lake on the Akamina Parkway, and a ride (I took a moped) out to Red Rock Canyon, where you’ll find walls of reddish stone and sweet-smelling pines.

You’ll also find a regal, old-style hotel on a bluff (The Prince of Wales Hotel) and a fun little town with good, casual food, pretty parks and mountain sheep (or even moose) wandering the streets.

You could take Highway 2 from Calgary and make it in about two and-a-half hours, but it’s only a few minutes longer if you take the lovely Cowboy Trail, Highway 22. The road dips and drops and slithers and snakes its way through wide valleys under that famous Alberta sky, with the snow-capped Rockies looming a few miles to the west.